Nexus 4, Galaxy S3 and iPhone 4: Which is the best phone for you?

Samsung Galaxy S3, LG Nexus 4 and Apple iPhone 4 are no longer flagship phones. But these three devices come to mind if you are hoping to pick a phone for around Rs 25,000.

But which one is the best of the lot?

Let me list the pros and cons of each device.

Nexus 4: This is the new hotness in the town. Made by LG but serviced by Google, this is a phone that runs unmodified version of Android. It is available for a little less than Rs 26,000. Buy it for ‘pure Android’ experience.

Pros

— Nexus 4 offers an incredibly smooth performance. There is no lag, no stutter, no low-frame rates, no waiting for an app to open. Personally I feel this is the fastest Android phone in the market and matches the kind of smooth interface offered by iPhone 5.

— The device offers fantastic hardware for its price. The processor, which has four general processing cores and Adreno 320 graphics chip, is very capable and will not get outdated for at least two more years. The graphics chip is especially powerful and will help users enjoy demanding 3D games.

— Despite its price, Nexus 4 is a device with premium design and looks. The front and the back of the device are covered with tough glass while the sides have been plastic coated with soft rubber.

The device is neither big nor small. It’s not as slim as iPhone 5 but slim enough to make it look petite. At 139 grams, it feels quite light in the hand. The size and weight makes it possible to use Nexus 4 with a single hand.

— The biggest reason to buy Nexus 4 is the ‘pure Android’ factor. The device runs the unmodified and latest version of Android. Currently it is powered by Android 4.2.2, an OS that has a nice and clean interface. Nexus 4 is also a phone that is guaranteed to get prompt updates from Google for at least one more year. When Google launches the next version of Android with new features and fixes, Nexus 4 will probably be the first phone to receive it. This fact alone makes it a great choice over any other phone in the market.

Cons

— The biggest problem with Nexus 4 is its camera. It may sport a tag of 8 megapixels but the pictures clicked with the device lack detail and sharpness compared to what other high-end phones offer. Another issue is that acquiring focus often takes an extra second or two. The device can take decent pictures in well-lit conditions and most people will find the images shot with Nexus 4 good enough. But, then, good enough is not in the league of what cameras in iPhone 5 or Galaxy S4 offer. In fact, it is not enough to even match the images that Galaxy S3 can shoot.

— When charged fully, Nexus 4 lasts around 11 hours of heavy use before its battery requires a recharge. This is around 2 hours less than what I will call acceptable. If you leave your house at 8.30 in the morning and come back at 6.30 in the evening, it is just possible that Nexus 4 will last the while but to be on the safe side, you will do well to carry its charger.

— Nexus 4 may look stunning but the use of extra glass also makes it a bit fragile. If you buy this device, I recommend that you get a case for it.

Galaxy S3: This used to be the flagship Android phone until April 26, when Samsung launched Galaxy S4. At a market price of around Rs 25,000, this is a versatile and fast handset with no real weakness at the moment.

Pros

— When it launched, Galaxy S3 had one of the best cameras ever put in a smartphone. A year later, its camera may have been surpassed by the likes of iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S4, but the phone remains a good shooter. In good light, it clicks images that are detailed, sharp and clear. In low light, it doesn’t have similar performance but if you use the night mode, it returns quite acceptable results.

— Galaxy S3 offers a battery life of around 13 hours with heavy use. Quite good, I say.

— Personally, I prefer the ‘pure Android’ experience but there are some software features created by Samsung that give Galaxy S3 an edge over other phones. Features like multi-window, which allows users to snap two open apps on a single screen, are useful for compulsive multitaskers. Similarly, the video playback performance of Galaxy S3 is ahead of all smartphones except the other high-end Galaxy devices, as it can handle video files in various formats and codecs with ease.

Cons

— Galaxy S3 has a good build quality and can survive a fall or two with ease. But at the same time, the glossy plastic used by Samsung to build it feels cheap.

— The software updates on Galaxy S3 are handled by Samsung. Currently, it is powered by Android 4.1.2, which may not be as nice as Android 4.2.2, but is comparable. But what will happen when Google launches the new version of Android? It is likely that Galaxy S3 will be supported for at least six to eight more months by Samsung and will probably receive the next version of Android. But the real question is when. Samsung’s newer devices receive faster updates. This means, Galaxy S4 and the next Galaxy Note will be in the spotlight this year. Galaxy S3 may get the next version of Android but only several months after Nexus 4 has got it.

iPhone 4:iPhone 4 was launched in 2010. But it is still selling in the market for a price of around Rs 25,000. There is lots of buzz around the phone because it is the cheapest iPhone right now and because Apple is offering cashback scheme on the device. Get it only if you are mad about Apple and are willing to compromise on usability.

Pros

— iPhone 4 is powered by iOS, which is well-optimized for the device by Apple. The result is that generally the device feels quite fast and smooth.

— iPhone 4 has a fantastic design. The front and back are covered with tough glass while an aluminum strip covers the sides. But like Nexus 4, it is also a fragile device, so if you get iPhone 4, buy a cover for it.

— iPhone 4 is a very compact device. People who have small hands or hate big phones will find it appealing.

Cons

— The biggest problem with iPhone 4 is that it is too old, especially for a phone that sells for Rs 25,000. If you are wondering about the cashback deals, let me tell you that the device is tool old for even a Rs 20,000 phone. It has a single-core processor running at 1GHz and 512MB RAM. The graphics chip is PowerVR SGX 535, which is theoretically tens of times slower than the chip in Nexus 4. While opening an app or swiping through the app feels quite smooth, the device starts to show its age when you do web browsing with an app like Chrome. It also feels slow when you multitask, especially if you are playing a demanding game and then switch to an app like mail or maps.

The older hardware also means that Apple will probably end software support for the device this year. Even if the support continues it is likely that it will be limited and some of the newer features, apps, or games may not be available for it.

— iPhone 4 has a 3.5-inch screen. While the screen quality is good, the size is too small. Both Galaxy S3 and Nexus offer better multimedia and web browsing experience due to their bigger screens.

— iPhone 4 can shoot images in 5 megapixels and videos in 720P. The quality of images and videos is acceptable but doesn’t compare well with images and videos shot by Galaxy S3, or even Nexus 4 in good light.

— I find the current version of Android to be better looking and more functional than the current version of iOS. But I also feel that iOS continues to be a much easier and accessible OS for people who are not very comfortable with gadgets and technology.

Summary

I am sure the pros and cons listed above for each device will help you make up your mind and zero in on one device, but if you want a ready reckoner, here is what I suggest.

— iPhone 4 is too old and I don’t recommend that phone to anyone but an Apple employee.

— Galaxy S3 is the best device here for mainstream consumers at its price point right now. It is fast, has a great camera and offers good battery life. It is also the only phone in the list here that supports micro SD cards. Pick it if you don’t care much about which version of Android your phone is running.

— Nexus 4 has the best hardware and the best design. It is, subjectively, the fastest of the lot and offers a slick Android experience. Camera, though, is average. If you can overlook that, you will never have to wait for an Android update for at least a year. In sum, Nexus 4 is a phone for technology enthusiasts, those who hate even milliseconds of lag in user interface, love cutting-edge hardware and want to use new features as soon as they are available.

Author

Javed Anwer is a geek at heart, a man of gizmos, gadgets and games. He spends the better part of his nights, and sometimes days too, roaming the virtual alleys of WWW. When he is not on the Internet, he is most likely tweaking his computer to coax more out of it. When he is not doing any of these, he writes for The Times of India. In this blog, WebWise, he tries to document his rendezvous with technology.

Javed Anwer is a geek at heart, a man of gizmos, gadgets and games. He spends the better part of his nights, and sometimes days too, roaming the virtual all. . .

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Javed Anwer is a geek at heart, a man of gizmos, gadgets and games. He spends the better part of his nights, and sometimes days too, roaming the virtual alleys of WWW. When he is not on the Internet, he is most likely tweaking his computer to coax more out of it. When he is not doing any of these, he writes for The Times of India. In this blog, WebWise, he tries to document his rendezvous with technology.

Javed Anwer is a geek at heart, a man of gizmos, gadgets and games. He spends the better part of his nights, and sometimes days too, roaming the virtual all. . .